Centrifugal die-casting machine.



L. OLSEN.

CENTBIFUGAL on: CASTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2. I918. L$U$83$ Patented Mary 6, 191

2 SHEETS SHEET I.

I/l/l T/VESS.

40km %KW am e/a L. OLSEN. CENTRIFUGAL DIE CASTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-2.1918.

Patented May 6, 1919 mmmm 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- H FIA B) W w A TTOR/I/EVS aoasas.

PATENT OFFICE.

LAWRENCE OLSEN, F INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

onnrnn ncar. DIE-CASTING MACHINE.

To all'zuhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAWRENCE OLSEN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, Marion county, and State of Indiana, have invented and discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Centrifugal Die-Casting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to centrifugal die casting machines. The objects of the invention are to increase rapidity of production,

to facilitate the closing and opening of the -d1e members and of the separation of the casting from the dies, toeifect an even and contmuous distributing flow of the metal from a central point to thedie chambers,

to provide ejector means capable of effective operation without injury to the castdlli ings, and to enable a number of castings to be formed and separated by the same operation.

With these objects in view, my invention is embodied in preferable form in the construction and arrangement hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In these drawings, Figure 1 is a side view in elevation of the machine; Fi 2, a front elevation partly in vertical section; Fig; 3, a plan. view partly brokenaway and en larged over the view shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and Fig. 4, an enlarged vertical section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the frame work of the machine which is provided with suitable bearings 2 in which is journaled a rotatable shaft or spindle 3 adapted to be driven by suitable gearing 4 and by a tight pulley 5 driven by a belt 6 which is also adapted to be shifted to a loose pulley 7 to stop the machine. The shaft 3 is provided with a brake drum 8 adapted to be pressed against by'a brake 9 controlled by a shifting lever .10, the function of which brakin mechanism is to check the momentum of the shaft when the driving belt is, thrown ofl' the fixed pulley. The shaft is journaled in a vertically slidable non-rotating sleeve 11 which in turn is mounted within a split clamping sleeve 12suitablyfixed in the frame work 1. The split. sleeve 12 is provided with an adjustin fixed position when the latter is adjusted vertic ally. The sleeve l l has fixed thereto Specification of Letters Patent.

4 mentary die carrying member.

,shown as Patented May 6, 1919.

Application filed March 2, 1918. Serial No. 220,0?6.

a rack bar 15 which also serves as a vertical key forsaid sleeve and'which is engaged by an operating pinion 16 adapted to be operated by handle members 17 whereby upon operation of the pinion the rack bar and its connected sleeve may be lowered or raised longitudinally of the axis of the shaft. Mounted inbearings 18 in the sleeve 11 is a rotatable hub sleeve 19 keyed to the shaft by means of a longitudinalkey 20. The sleeve '19 carries a spider 21 and through ears 22 thereof extend bolts 23 which are'fixed to a base plate 24, which may be in the form of a spider. l his base plate, owing to its fixed connection to the shaft, is adapted to rotate therewith when the latter is driven, and it constitutes a carrier for the cover lifting means and ejectors.

This plate is provided with lifting rods 25 adapted tozhave free contact againstthe bottom of a cover. member or head plate 26 which is adapted to close the die chambers and which may in itself constitute a comple- This cover in the construction herein illustrated is able dies 2 adapted to be engaged with the cover by means of bolts 28. The cover member is provided with a central openin 29 through which the molten metal to form the casting is poured. Mounted in the chamber formed by this opening is the head 30 of a bolt 31. The head of this bolt is inclined and serves as a distributing member for the molten metal to aid in more efiectively distributing the metal radially to the difierent gates leading to the dies. This bolt passes through a die carrying member consisting of a bed plate 32 and is then threaded into the shaft 3 whereby the die bed 32 and the shaft are rigidly connected.

32 by the contact rods 25 to obtain the sepa.-.

ration of the dies, and also to operate the ejectors hereinafter described, while owing to the free bearing of these rods a ainst the cover 26, the plate 24 is movable ownward independently of members26 and 32. ing screw 13 operable by a lever 14: and said sleeve serves to clamp the sliding sleeve 11 Leading from the central distributing chamber 34 in the member: 26 are downrovided with a series of removwardly inclined, shallow, tapering recesses 35 constituting gates for leading the molten metal to the die chambers. A plurality of these gates are provided disposed around the central chamber andthe machine is provided with a corresponding plurality of dies whereby anumber of castings are formed simultaneously. These gates lead from the circular distributing chamber at such an angle to the tangent line at the junction of the edges of the gate with the circumference of the chamber as to incline the gates in the direction of the circle of rotation of the machine as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3 and they enter the recesses 36 constituting the die chambers in the rear part of the circumferences' of-said chambers in the line of rotation. This construction provides a flow of the metal along a line approximating an involute curve projected from the distributing chamber to the die chamber in the general. direction of the line of rotation. Thistrated, cores 37' are shown as employed.

They extend within the die chamber and are carried by bolts. In conjunction with these cores, means adapted to release the same from the casting before the action of the ejectors on the latter, are shown. Such means consist of forked, open spacing col lars 38 adapted to surround the core bolts below-the bodies of the cores in position to support the latter in casting position and carried by yokes 39 projecting radially from a shifting ring mounted 011 the plate 24.- and operable circumferentially by means of a handle 40, to carry the collars from under the cores to permit the latter to descend and thus release them from the casting.

When the cores descend they bear against blocks 41 carried on the plate 24. These movable cores or their releasing means may be dispensed with if desired.

Mounted in each block 41 are ejector means consisting of a series of vertical pins 42, in line with the die chambers and adapted to be carried against the casting to free it from the dies, when the plate 24 is moved upward. These pins fill openings in the bottom of the die chambers.

Pivotally mounted on the lower ends of bolts 48 extending through the cover 26 are swinging spacer bars 43 adapted to be projected between the upper ends of the contact rods 25 and the bottom of the cover 26, so that when the contact lifting rods are drawn downwardly the bars may be 1n1erposed between the same and the cover in order that in the lifting movement of the plate the cover may be raised before the ejector pins are carried into contact with the casting. These spacer bars are of a greater thickness than the height of that portion of the die chamber which is within the cover member so that the castings may be elevated without contact with the cover after the latter has been raised. The ejectors are withdrawn by lowering the spider and carrier plate.

The operation of the machine is as follows The cover member is placed upon the die bed and locked thereto by means of the bolt 33, and then the sleeve having been raised to the proper point relatively to the die bed 32 is gaged by the contact of the rods 25 against the cover and locked in position by means of the clamping sleeve 12, thereupon the driving bolt is shifted so as to connect the driving mechanism of the shaft 3 with the power means whereupon the shaft and the members 24, 32 and 26 will be rotated at a high rate of speed. The molten metal is then poured into the chamber 34 through the central opening 29 and will be immediately distributed by the centrifugal force to the die chambers through the gates 35. The course of flow of the metal through these gates is, as before described, at an inclination toward the direction of flow and then directly in the line of flow as the metal enters the die chamber, whereby the centrifugal force and the direction of rotation 'aid in distributing the metal in a continuous even flow with no tendency to back up within the chamber or the gate. The rotation of the machine is continued until the casting is completely formed, whereupon the power is cut off and the brake 9 applied for the purpose of checking the momentum of the shaft and to bring the machine to a quick stop. The bolt 33 is then released from engagement with the die bed 32. When the cores 37 are used the first step in removing the casting is to release these cores from the castings which is done by shifting the ring carrying the yokes 39 so as to carry the spacing collars 88 from beneath the cores 37 whereupon the latter are permitted to descend below the die chamber and rest upon the blocks on-the plate 24. The clamp sleeve 12 is then unlocked and the handle 17 -with the pinion 16 rotated so as to operate the rack bar. 15 and lower the plate 24 relatively to the bed 32 and cover 26 whereby sufficient space is obtained between the upper ends of the contact shifting rods 25 and the bottom of the cover to permit the spacer bars 43' to be swung by hand over between the endsof the rods and the cover. Then the sleeve 11 and plate 24 are again elevated in which movement the contact lifting rods will first strike againstthe spacer bars 43, thus-lifting the continued upward movement of the plate 24 the ejectors 42 will enter the die chamber and be carried against the casting, thus releasing it from the die and elevating it slightly so that it may be readily removed. The cover 26 is then removed from the bed and. the castings formed in the dies and the gata portions taken out. The plate 24 is then again lowered, so as to withdraw the ejectors and then adjusted in height relatively to the die bed and cover and locked in position and the machine is ready for an other operation. 5

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a centrifugal die casting machine, a die member, a rotatable shaft on which said die member is fixed" for rotation therewith,

a cover member, means for fixing the cover" member to the die member, a third member on the shaft and vertically movable thereon, means for raising and lowering said last named member, and means intermediate the same and the cover member for raising the latter by the upward movement of said vertically movable member after the cover member has been released from the die member.

2. In a centrifugal die casting machine, in combination with a driving shaft, .a die member fixed thereon, a cover member, a vertically movable carrier member mounted on said shaft, means for conjointly raising the carrier member and cover relatively to said die member, and for permitting the. lowering of the carrier member independently of the cover member.

3. In a centrifugal die casting machine, in combination with a rotatable shaft, a die member carried thereby, a covermember, means to fix the cover member to the die member, a carrier member on the shaft below the die member and movable longitudinally of the shaft, mechanical means for shifting said carrier member, lifting members carried by the carrier member and having contact against the cover member.

4. In a centrifugal die casting machine, in combination with a rotatable shaft, a die member mounted thereon, a cover member, means forrigidly securing the cover memr ber to the die member, a rotatable and vertically, movable carrier member mounted on the shaft below the die member, vertical supporting and lifting rods on said carrier having free contact bearing against the bottom of the cover member, manually operated mechanism for raising the carrier and means for locking the carrier in adjusted position.

- 5, In a centrifugal die. casing machine, in

combination with a rotatable shaftf'a die bed member fixed thereon, a cover member having dies complementary to those of the die bed, means to removably secure said rnembers together, a carrier plate below the d1e bed, and mounted for rotation with said shaft and movement longitudinal thereof, vertical lifting rods on said carrier plate having free bearing against the cover member, a non-rotatable, vertically adjustable sleeve on which said carrier plate is mounted, rack and pinion mechanism for raising and lowering said sleeve and means for locking said sleeve in adjusted position.

6. In a centrifugal die casting machine, in combination with a rotatable shaft, separable die carrying members mounted on said below the die members, mechanism for moving said carrier plate longitudinally, and. ejectors carried by saidcarrier plate and adapted to enter the dies.

7. In a centrifugal in combination with a rotatable shaft, a die bed mounted thereon, a cover member adapted for detachable engagement with said die bed, a rotatable member mounted on the shaft below the die bed for vertical movement relatively to said die bed and cover member, mechanism. for raising and lowering said vertically movable member, means carried by said member for lifting the cover from the die bed, and ejectors carried by said member and adapted to enter the dies and operable. to release the castings when .tatable and vertically movable carrier mounted on said shaft, means carried by said carrler for ralsing the cover, means carriedby sald carrier for e ectmg the castlngs and means cooperating with said cover raising means for effecting the lifting of the cover before the ejectorsact upon the castings in the upward movement of said carrler.

9. In a centrifugal die casting machine,'

in combination with a rotatable shaft, die members carrled thereby, a vertically mov- 'able member, means carried by the movable member for separating said die members,

ejectors carried by said movable member, -and'" adjustable means adapted for projection into the path of the separating means I to effect the operating contact of said means before the action of the ejectors on the cast-- ings. 10. In a centrifugal die casting machine, in comblnation with a rotatable shaft, a die 'bed,a die cover member, complementary die elements insaid -parts, means to detachably die casting machine,

engage said co i'er with said bed, a vertically slidable and rotatable plate mounted on the shaft below the .die bed, upwardly projecting contact rods carried by said plate and adapted to bear against the under surface of said cover, ejector pins carried by said plate and adapted to enter the die recesses, and

movable spacer bars mounted on the die cover and manually projectable between the bottom of the cover and the upper ends of the lifting rods, and mechanism for elevating said carrier plate.

11. In a centrifugal die casting machine,

in combination with a rotatable die carrying device having a central distributing chamber, and gates leading from said-chamher to the lie chambers inclined in the direction of rotation of the machine.

12. In a centrlfugal die casting machine,

.in combination with a rotatable shaft, die

sidered with respect to the line of rotation of I the machine.

13. In a centrifugal die casting machine,

in combination with a rotatable shaft, die members carried thereby having a central open distributing chamber therein, an inclined central raised head in said chamber for aiding the distribution of the metal, and shallow downwardly tapered recesses leading from the central chamber to the die chambers and constituting gates, said gates being wider at their entrance ends than at their exits and extending non-radially from the central chamber toward the direction of the line of rotation and entering the die chambers substantially at the rear thereof in the line of rotation.

14. In a centrifugal die casting machine, in combination'with a rotatable shaft, a die bed fixed thereon, a movable core adapted to enter the die, a core supporting plate carried by the shaft below said die bed and a movable spacer member intermediate said plate and the end of said core.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Indianapolis this 12 day of February, A. D. nineteen hundred and eighteen.

LAWRENCE OLSEN. 

